Critical ventilator shortage hits major Islamabad hospitals

Officials said the shortage is making it increasingly difficult to provide life-saving treatment as both hospitals continue to receive critically ill patients from across Pakistan.

PIMS Executive Director Dr Rana Imran Sikander said the hospital has more than 90 ventilators across different intensive care units, but almost all of them are currently occupied. He said some critically ill patients require ventilator support for around 20 days, leaving ICU beds occupied for extended periods and reducing the availability of ventilators for new patients.

Dr Sikander added that PIMS does not turn away patients and often keeps critically ill patients in the emergency department even when ICU space is unavailable. He also said the hospital is facing financial constraints and a shortage of trained staff to operate ventilators effectively.

Polyclinic Hospital spokesperson Dr Abdul Jabbar Bhutto said the hospital has 35 ventilators, but almost all of them remain occupied most of the time due to the growing number of critically ill patients. He stressed that hospitals need not only more ventilators but also additional trained medical staff, as these machines cannot be operated without specialised personnel.

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Doctors said the shortage has forced more patients to rely on public hospitals because treatment at private hospitals can cost up to Rs300,000 per day for a single patient. They added that the waiting list for ventilators rarely clears, raising serious concerns about the availability of critical care facilities in the federal capital.

The issue has drawn renewed public attention after the family of journalist Abid Raza Kazmi claimed that he died at PIMS because a ventilator was not available, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen emergency healthcare services.